Wrench with segmental work engaging portions



Aug. 6, 1957 v. G. BONNER WRENCH WITH SEGMENTAL WORK ENGAGING PORTIONS Filed April 16. '1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l k M m 5 E 2 L. 4 E: q Ill! l 4 "H A l I ii /w IN V EN TOR. B nner A T TORNEV Aug. 6, 1957 v, BONNER 2,801,561

WRENCH WITH SEGMENTAL. WORK-ENGAGING PORTIONS Filed April 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. By Vern 6130222262 A TTOlG/VE Y WRENCH WITH SEGMENTAL WORK ENGAGING PORTIONS Vern G. Bonner, Englewood, Coio. Application April 16, 1954, Serial No. 423,714

2 Claims. (Cl. 81'90) This invention relates to wrenches, and more particularly to a wrench for removing a nut or the like located in a position in which a conventional open-end socket or spanner wrench cannot be used, or used only with undue difliculty. l

The. wrench of this invention is particularly adapted to remove the nut which holds the sprocket wheel onto the shaft .of a Caterpillar type tractor. Such a nut is located between the sprocket of an enclosed hearing, such as a ball or roller bearing, the bearing being adjacent the end of the shaft but being larger than the nut so that a conventional socket wrench cannot be used, as the bearing is usually frozen onto the shaft. Also, an openend wrench, or a spanner wrench, tends to slip 01f the nut and thus cannot be used with any degree of success. It is to be noted that such but to be removed is not small, being in the neighborhood of to 6" in diameter, with the adjacent ball bearing being 6 /2" to 7in diameter, the shaft upon which the bearing is mounted being 3" to 4" in diameter, and the sprocket retained on the shaft by the nut having an outer diameter of 25 to 30".

Among the objects of this invention are to provide an improved wrench of the flat type; to provide such a wrench which is particularly adapted to be utilized in removing a. nut which requires a heavy torque to turn it; to provide such a wrench which is particularly adapted to engage a nut disposed between two parts, at least the outer of such parts having adiameter greater than the diameter of the nut; to provide such a wrench which is particularly adapted to be utilized for removing the nut between the drive sprocket and bearing of a Caterpillar type tractor or the like; and to provide such a wrench which is sufficiently rugged to withstand the rigours of hard usage, yet is comparatively economical to manufacture.

' Additional objects and the novel features of this invention will become apparent from the description which follows, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a condensed side elevation of a wrench constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section, taken through the head along line 2 2 of Fig; 1;

i Fig. 3 is aside elevation of one of two inserts placed within the head of the wrench during use and indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the second insert, complementary to the insert of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, showing the inserts of Figs. 3 and 4 in assembled relation, these inserts being particularly adapted to be utilized in connection with a splined nut;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of two inserts adapted to be utilized in removing a hex nut; 1

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the other insert, complementary to the insert of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the inserts of Figs 6 and 7 2,801,561 Patented Aug. 6, 1957 ICC in assembled relation, as placed within the head of the wrench of Fig. 1 during use; i

Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the insert of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary end view of the bearing, showing in dotted lines the nut to be removed;

Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate the inserts of Figs. 3 and 4, respectively, in removed position, but in the same relative position with respect to the nut of Fig. 10 when placed thereon;

Fig. 13 is an end View of the bearing and the inserts of Figs. 3 and 4 in position on the nut;

Fig. 14 is an end view of the wrench in place on the nut, with a portion of the bearing being broken away to show the nut and inserts more clearly;

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the nut to be removed and the adjacent bearing and sprocket, and also a portion of the tractor adjacent thereto, the head of the wrench being shown in vertical section; and

Fig. 16 is an end view of the portion of the tractor shown in Fig. 15, but without the wrench on the nut.

Before describing in detail a preferred embodiment of a Wrench constructed in accordance with this invention, it is desirable to point out that such wrenches are not small, weighing in the neighborhood of 30 to 40 pounds, and to refer briefly to Figs. 15 and 16 which show a splined nut 7 adjacent a bearing 8 on a shaft 9, on which is also mounted a sprocket 10. The shaft 9 extends outwardly from a housing H in which the gearing or other mechanism for driving shaft 9 is disposed. As will be evident, the nut 7 engages a threaded shoulder on the shaft 9 to hold the sprocket 10 tightly on. the shaft, while the bearing 8 is usually quite tight or frozen on the shaft, particularly after a relatively long period of use.

As will be further evident, the size of the bearing 8 is,

suchthat a socket wrench cannot be slipped thereover to engage the nut 7. r In addition, the parts are of such size and the torque necessary to remove the nut 7 and simultaneously push the bearing 8 ofi the shaft 9 is sufficiently great that a conventional spanner wrench, having an arcuate head provided at its extremity with an inwardly extending lug adapted to engage one of the splines on nut 7, is inadequate to remove thenut. Although the hand of an operator is indicated in Fig. 14 as holding the handle 11 of the wrench, it will be understood that more often than not, the nut cannot be turned off by hand. Thus, it is preferred to place the wrench on the nut in a manner described hereinafter, with the handle 11 of the wrench extending in an appropriate direction, place a block under the outer end of the wrench handle and then rotate the shaft 9 from the tractor motor in a direction to cause the nut 7 to be screwed off the shaft and move bearing 8 oil the shaft with it. p

A wrench constructed in accordance with this invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1-5, may include a handle 11 formed of sufiiciently heavy material to withstand the stresses to be imposed thereon and welded in offset position a) a head 12 which is generally circular, but extends sufficiently at one end for welding to the handle 11. A pair of lugs 14, disposed in opposed positions, extend inwardly from the otherwise circular periphery 15 of an aperture or hole in the head 12. The handle 11 and head 12 may be cut from fiat plate in a suitable manner, as by,

Ilia may be provided with a pair of stops 17 or 1711,; re:

spectively, which are conveniently welded to one side of the insert and extend outwardly past the outer periphery so as to engage the sides of the wrench head 12 for a purpose described later. Each of the inserts 16 and 16a may be provided with a generally rectangular slot 18 or 18a, respectively, each of which is adapted to engage one of the splines on the nut 7 of Figs. 15 and 16. The remainder of the inner periphery 19 of each insert may be arcuate, corresponding to the depth of slot 18 or 18a so as to encompass the periphery of the remaining splines on the nut. Of course, additional slots 18 or 18a may be provided, if more than one spline is to be engaged. Each of the extending ends of the inserts 16 and 16a may be further provided with a half slot 20 or 20a, respectively, these half slots being adapted to form a rectangular slot 21, as in Fig. 5, when placed together in circular position. The slots 21 engage the lugs 14 on the inside of head 12 of the wrench so that any turning movement imparted to the insert 16 or 16a or to the head 12, will be transmitted to the other. The thickness of the inserts 16 and 16a may be approximately equal to the thickness of the head 12, while the inserts may be machined from flat plate, or forged and machined. In any event, the inserts are preferably made of high strength steel which will resist relatively severe load conditions.

In the event that the exterior of the nut to be removed 7 is hexagonal, then the ring segments or inserts 22 and 22a, illustrated in Figs. 6-8, may be utilized. Inserts 22 and 22a are respectively similar to the inserts 16 and 16a,

except that the inner periphery 23 of insert 22, and also the inner periphery 23a of insert 22a, is formed with three sides disposed at 120 to each other, corresponding to the angles between adjacent sides of a hex nut. As before, the inserts 22 and 22a may be provided with stops 17 and 17a, respectively, and also with end slots 24 and 24a which are adapted, when the inserts 23 and 23a are placed together in circular position, to form rectangular slots 25 of Fig. 8, which engage lugs 14 of head 12 when the inserts23 and 23a are placed in the head. The thickness of the insert 22a is indicated in Fig. 9, but it will be understood that a view taken from a similar position with respect to insert 16, 16a or 22, will have the same appearance as Fig. 9.

As will be observed, the insert 16a is substantially identical to insert 16. However, the inserts 16a and 22a will be slightly greater than the diameter of the bearing 8.

In placing the wrench on the nut 7, the inserts 16 and 16a are first placed on the nut in the position of Fig. 13, as by being shifted thereon from the positions shown in Figs. 10l2, with the stops. 17 and 17a on the side toward the sprocket 10. The inserts thereby form a substantially complete circlearound the nut 7, and tend to stay in position thereon when one of the slots 21 is uppermost. Of course, if there is any tendency for the inserts to become dislodged, they may be held on the nut by pressure against the upper stops 17 and 17a. After the inserts are placed on the nut, the head 12 of the wrench is slipped over the bearing 8 and into engagement with the inserts 16 and 16a, the lugs 14 of the wrench head being inserted in the slots 21 formed by the inserts, i. e., to the position of Fig. 14. As will be evident, the slots 13 and 13a cause the inserts to interlock with the nut, while the lugs 14 cause the Wrench head to interlock with the inserts. Thus, any turning or twisting movement of either the wrench handle 11 or nut 7 will be transmitted to the other. In addition, as the shaft 9 is turned with the wrench handle 11"held in a stationary position, the nut.7 will be turned.

on the shaft. When the wrench head 12 is inserted over 4 the bearing 8, the side of head 12 to which handle 11 is attached is preferably turned away from the ears 17 and 17a, so that the cars will engage the flat side of the head 12. Also, the inner end of handle 11 preferably terminates at a point at a greater distance from the center of the head 12 than a radius of the bearing 8, so that the inner end of handle 11 will adequately clear the bearing. As the shaft 9 turns and the nut 7 is unscrewed on the shaft, the nut will soon engage the bearing 8 and drive the bearing 011 the shaft 9. During this time, the inserts 16 and 16a will travel along with the nut 7 while the stops 17 and 17a will force the head 12 to travel along with the inserts. Or, if there is any tendency for the nut to move within the inserts, the insert ears 17 and 17a will tend to remain in engagement with the head 12, thus insuring that the wrench head will remain in adequate engagement with the inserts. After bearing 8 and nut 7 are removed from the shaft, the sprocket 10 may then be removed. After the necessary repairs have been made and it is desired to retighten the nut 7, the wrench of this invention may be utilized for this purpose, as by appropriately blocking one end thereof and rotating the shaft 9 in the opposite direction. Or, the nut 7 may be merely screwed onto the shaft until almost tight and then tightened by hand, as shown in Fig. 14. If manual tightening is insufficient, the end of handle 11 of the wrench may be driven around by a sledge. In general, extreme tightness of nut 7 is usually not necessary when the nut is being replaced on the, shaft, since the normal direction of rotation of shaft 9 will be a direction in which the nut 7 tends naturally to be tightened. In general, it is considerably easier to replace the bearing 8 on the shaft 9, than it is to drive the bearing off after a period of use.

In the event that the nut 7 has a hexagonal outer periphery, rather than being splined, the inserts 22 and 22a of Figs. 6-9ymay be substituted for the inserts 16 and 16a, being placed in the same relative position as inserts 16 and 16a shown in Fig. 13. As before, the head 12 of the wrench is merely slipped over the bearing 8 to engage the inserts 22 and 22a, the inner peripheries 23 and 23a of which form interlocking means with the periphery of the nut. Also, the lugs 14 of the wrench head, will engage the slots 25 (see Fig. 8) provided by the inserts 23 and 23a when positioned in circular relationship, to provide interlocking means between the inserts and the wrench head.

While the use of a wrench constructed in accordance with this invention has been described particularly in connection with the nut between a drive sprocket and bearing on a Caterpiller type tractor, it will be evident that such a wrench may be used for either loosening or tightening nuts in other positions, particularly when disposed between two parts which are larger in diameter than the nut itself and also particularly when one of these parts is difiicult to remove. It will also be evident that more than two ring segments may be utilized, if desired.

It will be further evident that the wrench of this invention fulfills to a marked degree the requirements and objects hereinbefore set forth, and although certain variations in the wrench construction have been discribecl or indicated, it will be understood that other embodiments may exist and additional variations made, all without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A wrench for a nut having an irregular outer surface and disposed between two adjacent parts each ex tending laterally outwardly past said nut, comprising a handle; a head attached to said handle and having a circular aperture therein, and a pair of diametrically opposed, inwardly extending lugs with the diametrical distance between the inner periphery of said lugs greater than the smaller of saidparts; and a pair of ring segments fitting around said nut in assembled relation with the inner periphery of each said segment engaging at least a portion of the surface irregularity of said nut and the outer periphery of said segments being circular except for a slot at each end, each set of adjacent end slots of said segments accommodating one of said lugs.

2. A wrench for a nut having an irregular outer surface and disposed on a shaft between a sprocket and a bearing with said bearing disposed closer to the end of said shaft and each of said bearing and sprocket having a greater diameter than said nut, comprising a handle; a fiat head on one side of said handle and integral therewith, said head having a circular aperture therein and ,a pair of lugs extending inwardly at diametrically opopsed positions, the diametrical distance between the insides of said lugs being greater than the diameter of said bearing; and a pair of complementary ring segments fitting around said nut in assembled relation, each said segment having an inner peripheral configuration to engage at least a portion of the surface irregularity of said nut and each of said segments being generally circular to fit within said aperture in said head with each segment having a slot at each end and each set of adjacent end slots of said segments accommodating one of said lugs, and each said ring segment having a pair of radially extending ears integral with a corresponding side thereof and spaced from each end of said segment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,314,044 Buker Aug. 26, 1919 1,564,222 Dunlap Dec. 8, 1925 1,600,645 Smith Sept. 21, 1926 2,322,856 LeRoue June 29, 1943 2,337,368 Bohler Dec. 21, 1943 2,386,342 Price Oct. 9, 1945 2,394,808 Rohr Feb. 12, 1946 2,536,172 Halperin Jan. 2, 1951 

